Though the country’s 2007-2009 recession may be a distant memory for some University students, one professor is using federal dollars to study those Americans still struggling.
Associate sociology professor Brian Thiede was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of the 2015 Department of Labor Scholars Program, the University’s sociology department announced on Jan. 26.
Thiede will be researching the effects of the country’s 2007-2009 recession on the demographic makeup of the workplace. As part of the grant, Thiede will author a report and create a public data file for the Department of Labor.
“The aim of the research is to theoretically understand how the impact of the recession was distributed among different groups of workers,” Thiede said. “It will show different ethnic groups and occupations, and you will also be able to look at it geographically.”
Thiede said he is among five or six other faculty members from across the nation in the program that are doing policy and programming-related research. Their work will be presented in person and as a working paper to the Department of Labor in August.
Being at a university where the faculty makes connections in D.C. is a perk for students, Thiede said. Those types of relationships can lead to internships and other opportunities.
“The more connections that are made between faculty members and the policy community always helps undergraduates, especially with career issues,” Thiede said.
His project turns census information into data that is easily analyzed. Ultimately, his work will compare workforce demographics from before the recession, during and after.
Thiede recently conducted research on workers making below poverty-level income. He said he focused on the causes of those situations and potential policy interventions. His current project is an extension of that research.
“In general, I do a lot of research that’s both domestic research and international development,” Thiede said. “Overall, my research is motivated by trying to find good evidence that can feed directly into policies that can have positive effects.”
Thiede said his goal is to help solve these issues from a philosophical standpoint, though his research is mostly working with the numbers.
“I’m all about producing really solid evidence,” Thiede said. “Hopefully, it’s evidence that feeds into debates about, in this case, minimum wage or other kind of work quality policies.”